Thursday

Seckington+Danny=Sedan


OMGWTF. I'm so freakin' excited. Sedan is playing in Portland tomorrow night at Dante's Inferno. These fellas were in other killer bands. Danny's a crazy good drummer and played in Enemymine, Jackie O. Motherfucker, LLP, Mocket and Mirah. Scott's in two of my other favorite bands ever, Two Ton Boa and Verticleville.

These guys are so super rad. And I love them much so much. I've included Sedan in every mix tape or playlist I've made in the past 4 years or so--including my friend Sophia's birthing mix tape (yeah, I still make mix tapes).

Hardcore XXX Thrift-score

I'm a thrift junky and will never go to a store without fully pillaging its racks. And I'm soooo glad I stayed at Goodwill after I found my project leggings.

I found the most killer Jil Sander backless dress for $9.99 (!!!)(--plus my 10% Goodwill discount, of course.)



I'm not a part of the typical Jil Sander demographic, it's true. I mean I'm a young lady, but I have a penchant for the matronly. I've been really into the angles of bandage dresses. This is a deadly hot open back dress and it fits like a glove.

Today's just the day to prove I've really got a thing for old lady gear. Here's an Andrea Jovine purple wool coat that's tailored so perfectly. It'll look rad with new dress or just with t-shirt, scarf and leggings.

+---Holy Leggings ---+Wang Style

Today while I was browsing my obsessions, I found a pic of Alexander Wang's Fall 2009 collection with the cut-out legging pants I love so. I tried to duplicate these before and got a little cut crazy. I took a tip from Wang and just sliced 4-5 good ones up the slides.



At to the Goodwill by my house on the soul mission to get some black leggings. For $2.99 I found some heavy duty Danskins (which are the best cuz their really for dancers).

Here's how I did it.
Danskins are great, no bunching, no super tight pinchy elastic and durable. These are a little big, but hey, they're comfy.

I cut a piece of cardboard in a wedge shape with my razor switchblade (also very handy for haricuts)

I shoved the cardboard wedge in the leg hole sideways, not front-on because I wanted to cut the sides only. (Note: cutting around the knee area of knit/elastic fabric creates big gaping holes your knees pop through. I suggest avoiding the knee area)

Cut holes in any pattern. I tried to follow 4 basic slashes down the side.

Here's the end result.

Wednesday

Dawn of the Living Dead + 8===D

There's no doubt, I'm a huge zombie movie fan. I'm obsessed. In extended conversation, I'll most likely bring up zombies once--maybe twice, more likely five times. Somehow everything seems related to the living dead. But perhaps it's my lingering punk rock/goth ethic that makes me really think about the morbidity of it all.

Jules and Darrin started a new project to come out later next month on imputor? records whose namesake recalls a part of the human body, 8===D. The boys expressed interest in remaking/deconstructing 70's and 80's zombie scores with heavy, heavy scary stuff. Like these delayed and tripped out zombie voices from Dawn of the Dead.

And this classic Italian remake of the of the movie by director Dario Argento and the score by Goblin.

Rad! I want to help. I think they need a little (.)(.) with their 8===D

Health Club Music


First of all, I love the name of Kaori and Travis' handmade synth instrument company "Health Club Music". I feel healthier listening to the blips, blops and yummy distortion coming from their synths. I had the pleasure of having dinner with these two circuit board geniuses a few nights ago. My fella, has a few of their synths and I just adore how each custom piece is hand labeled and spray painted. Aesthetically, they are little pieces of craft technology gold.


I love this theramin made from a toy doctor's case.


Kaori and Travis sell these one of kind instruments through their website and have premade custom pieces for sale on ebay.

Sunday

Hawking Leather

I've finally posted the Langlitz Leather Columbia motorcycle jacket on ebay.

Let's see how it turns out.


Friday

Mix Tape in Spanish

A Spanish language magazine, Tendencias, apparently the "Nylon magazine of Spain" published a story about the mix tape article I wrote for Found Magazine. Here's the article, "Nostalgia of Young Love" is about all I can translate.

My tape is the blue one on the bottom left corner with the "1111111111 <3". It was made for me by my ex-boyfriend a bazillion years ago but it's still really sweet to listen to. And you can listen too!

Faux Chanel+Monkey Fur Purse

I've lusted for Chanel, but seriously won't spend thousands. And I really dig taxidermy/creepy vintage furs. At House of Vintage, I found a rad vintage 40's era monkey fur hand muff ($10) and a basic faux patent leather Chanel purse ($10).


I thought the two would look good together. I haven't seen a monkey fur handbag lately coming from designers but I've seen some resurgence coming from Alexander Wang. Here's my monkey fur faux Chanel bag project:
I gutted the muff of its horse hair/cotton batting, leaving just the leather. The leather was really dry so I treated it with leather conditioner to make it more pliable.


I fit the leather to the purse size and began sewing it with an upholstery needle.

I thought the padded effect looked better than flat so I tucked some of the original cotton batting under the leather to make it puffy.

Here's the end result. I lost the clasp because I didn't want to cut a hole in the leather, but I think it still looks good. I really love the gold/leather chain handle it can be let out to be super long or doubled up to be two shorter lengths. The patent leather quilting+monkey fur looks killer together.

Tuesday

Meat Artitsts

All this talk of leather has me thinking about meat. It's amazing the relationships humans have with preserved animal skins.

My fella bought me the new Art in America for Valentine's Day. I wanted to read about the cover artist Elizabeth Peyton. And I super love the somber Sid Vicious on the cover. I'd hang that painting in my house no problem.

I ran across the artist Heide Hatry (great name, btw).


I was just staring at this image in the magazine trying to figure out what it was, what was it made of? So I looked her up and found tons of great images of what you might call a meat retrospective. This is from her artist statement: "In my recent work, my primary material is fresh, untreated pigskin. I discovered that I responded intensely to its feel, smell, and the deeply corporal overall sensation it engenders. I find its effect in sculptural work as well as in photographs uniquely "human."

Here are a few that really got me from the meat artists I've found from the curatorial "Meat After Meat Joy".

Carolee Schneemann from Meat Joy


Adam Brandejs


Simone Racheli


Although Mark Ryden wasn't included in this group of meat artists. I suppose because he is extremely contemporary. I'd like to add this piece--Angel of Meat.


One last thought from Mark Ryden from his newest book "The Tree Show" I purchased this month. The breakdown of tree vs. animal.

Hit the Jacket-pot


After much anticipation, I went to Langlitz Leather company this morning to find out more about my leather. As soon as the counter-person set eyes on it, he had a smile from ear to ear.

One by one the Langlitz staff came to check out my jacket reeling at the fact I'd found it at a thrift store. (Oh, and I bought it in Washington [where sales tax is applicable] but used my Oregon state ID to forfeit paying tax)Cheap!

The staff was so great and helpful. He told me about the details of the jacket (Crown zipper, green label, horsehide, etc.) and dated it for me. I spent half the weekend online dying to find out more information. It really helped to confirm my suspicions. Of course it'd make sense to keep it, it's my size and it's GORGEOUS! But, I think there is a special someone who'll like it better than I. Someone who loves motorcycles and will wear it regularly. Keep an eye out for this bad boy on ebay. It should be quite a ride!

Monday

MLK+UNICORN+VALENTINE'S=Thrift Jackpot

The adventure continues at this thrift store:

I spied the most incredible motorcycle jacket in a tinsy-tiny size, which is super rare. I unhooked the jacket and slid it on. OH, man it felt amazing, stiff, perfectly worked in and RAD antique hardware.

Riding the high of finding a perfect leather jacket for mere pittance, I start looking closer.

Langlitz Leathers is a local Portland motorcycle leather wear company producing 5 pieces daily and only one outlet in America but 50 licensed dealers in Japan (!). They've been around for 62 years, since 1947!
Behind the jacket was a pair of itty bitty leather riding pants.


I bought the jacket and left the pants behind. I didn't see how anyone would ever fit in them, definitely not me.
We left the store and I started checking out ebay and vintage sites trying to find something similar and things got interesting.




I looked up the name on the inside pocket, "Mrs. Bert Taylor", well Bert Taylor really. And found he was a professional Norton racer in 1927. This was his wife's custom made leather.
Finding the provenance and history I felt guilty about separating the pants from jacket and returned to buy them for $14.99.

It took me a few hours to find any information on this particular jacket. It was older than all the Langlitz Leather jackets online. I FINALLY found this page in a Japanese book about the history of leather jackets (for sale on ebay).
(click to enlarge)
JACKPOT! A 1950-1956 Langlitz Leather horsehide Columbia leather jacket with matching pants. I'm hoping to go to Japan and have a good chunk of my expenses paid with these babies. First, I'm going to head to Langlitz and talk to Dave (who is a minor celebrity in Japan) and see what he has to say about cleaning and treating the leather. I also would like to find out more about the jacket and possibly what it's worth since I haven't found any online from the 50's for sale only a few from the 60's. I have learned a whole hella of a lot about vintage leathers, I'm now a huge fanatic!

Reminds me of the first time I encountered a Langlitz Leather jacket, 2002 working at Music Millennium.



Check the hat. Benicio is a bigger fanatic than I, bless him.

Thrift Heaven Valentines Day

My fella and I decided to take a spur of the moment trip to the coast Friday the 13th. We decided to go to Astoria, OR (yes, Oregon--I get confused) and ate at the cheesily named but delicious Baked Alaska. Then we didn't go too far before we found a hotel that accepts dogs, kind of a mistake. It was a dump. Next time we sneak Johnny in to a fancy place. Best part was hotel TV: Cosby Show marathon. HEY-OH!

After waking up with cricked necks and smelling like smoke (in a non-smoking room?)we set out to explore Astoria and it's surrounding parts. wasn't going to leave without (finally) seeing the Goonies House. Mission accomplished.


There's a constant stream of people walking up the drive to this house. I suppose if you wanted to make a Goonies/Israeli statement that's cool.

That's Data's house.
We headed home and hit every thrift store on the way back to Portland, including the thrift mecca of Longview. There's like 6 thrift stores in a row in the downtown area. I started taking picture of every thrift store and was really into the thrift store as political messageboard. See?

MLK + unicorn (a super good omen). The woman behind the counter told me that she too had a dream. It was to open a thrift shop. She keeps the picture to remind her of the importance of having a dream.


Friday

Black on Black on Black

I'm really into reading gnarlitude.com. The writer, Jen is pretty prolific writing for 4 (or more?) blogs churning out all kids of finds. Gnarlitude is so focused on her personal style and the I don't give-a-fuckness of fashion I'm all for. She introduced me to black with bleach distress markings ala 80's acid wash, made rad again by Alexander Wang, Ksubi, and American Apparel.

At the bins I found a heinous maxi skirt about 5 sizes too big with some Hawaiian themed embroidery on the trim. But the acid-washy bleach streaks on the fabric inspired me to hack it up and make two new pieces.




Mini skirt I can't wait to wear this summer.

I made a scarf out of the rest. I'll take pics as soon it's out of the wash.